Finnish game studio Seriously releases first animated short after reaching profitability this year

Finnish mobile gaming company Seriously is premiering its first animated short, Best Fiends Boot Camp, based on its mobile game franchise Best Fiends.

The short features a voice cast of Mark Hamill, Kate Walshe, and Pamela Adlon and was produced by Reel FX.

The company has developed two games under the Best Fiends franchise, which have been downloaded 70 million times with two million daily players, said the company. It reached profitability in the first quarter of this year.

According to figures provided by Seriously, the company generated $106,000 in revenue a day as of April this year. This marks a steady growth on daily revenue over the last three years: $21,000 in 2014, $55,000 in 2015, $90,000 in 2016.

“Given the audience shift from incumbent media platforms like televisions and movie theaters, we’re focused on building a world on your mobile, with the characters, stories and music you would expect from a Hollywood animated franchise,” said Andrew Stalbow, CEO of Seriously.

“When Seriously approached us about working together, I immediately fell in love with the characters,” said Augusto Schillaci, director and senior visual effects supervisor, Reel FX. “It’s rare that you get a chance to work on a world that has so much potential for comedy, and it’s exciting to launch the short in a different way - straight into a global audience. We can’t wait for fans’ reactions to this.”

Seriously will debut a second animated short based on the Best Fiends franchise called Visit Minutia this summer with more shorts to be released later in the year alongside in-game tie-ins.

Along with the premiere, the company has appointed former Walt Disney vice president and treasurer, Michael Montgomery as an independent board member. He also served as CEO of Sega GameWorks and a board member at Dreamworks. Former Fox Kids Europe chairman and CEO, Ynon Kreiz is also joining as new investor in the company.

Seriously has raised $28 million in funding from Daher Capital, Korea Investment Partners, Northzone, Sunstone Capital, and Upfront Ventures. Its studio remains based in Helsinki with business development and marketing operating in Venice, California.